Trip Report 'Twas a lovely trip

A fond "Hello" to my WDW Magic "peeps"! While this was not my first trip since 2021, it is my first report since then. There are a lot of reasons that I debated doing one, but 2 main things swung me in the direction of yes.
1) Tuvalu said I should.
2) I like going back and reading my old reports as it really helps me remember the trip.

So, here we go!

Who: E & I (photo from a previous trip)
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When: 1/26-2/4
Where: 1/26-1/31 Saratoga Springs 1/31-2/4 BLT
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sorry about your team - very unfair after all your lion sightings at AK!
Thanks...there's always next year!
Following along!! Great TR so far!
Thank you!
Splitsville is our new go to at the Springs. Great menu with lots of variety. Both times we have eaten there we have enjoyed it. Sorry the Lions didn’t win, we were pulling for them.
The fried rice was so tasty! Many people were rooting for our Lions and I thank you.
Following and I, too, was rooting for the Lions!
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Thanks 🦁💔
I'm in and glad you decided to do a report!!
Thank you!
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
1/29 Day 2 at HS
Since we hadn't ridden ToT on our first day at HS, we decided to purchase an ILL for Rise today. This would be the first time that we've thrown extra money at Disney, but it wouldn't be the last. :grumpy:
We knew we wouldn't be staying as late today and I think our ILL was for 1:30. We rope dropped ToT and were disappointed that they had us bypass the TV room. I mean, it was still a great ride, but I like getting in the mood
beforehand. Front row, baby!
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With no notes, it's hard to remember the order of our day. We rode SDD and TSMM.
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Saw Olaf.
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E had his senior photos taken in Galaxy's Edge. I HAD to include these priceless gems! 🤣
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Rise was ridden.
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And more Yub Nubs were consumed. We didn't mind standing at the bar since we weren't that tired and we like interacting with the bartenders.
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After Oga's we took the Skyliner over to Epcot. Dinner was at Topolino's Terrace that night and we didn't want to go back to SSR. So we had a couple beers (and a B52 for E) and some hummingbird cake before heading to the Riviera.
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PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
1/30 Second day at AK
Not wanting to buy another ILL for today, we rope dropped FoP. It was a lovely morning!
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We are so accustomed to being here in the unbearable heat of the summer. It was really so nice to be wearing pants and a long sleeved shirt and being comfortable.
The safari was next.

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This was the first time we had ever witnessed the male lion up and walking around. He wasn't exactly roaring, but kind of huffing. We were so excited!
Coffee was next on the agenda.
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This is a really nice and peaceful spot to enjoy your coffee with a different perspective of the Tree of Life.
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We enjoyed Feathered Friends in Flight. It had been awhile since we'd seen it and it's a cute show.
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For lunch we had some egg rolls and fried rice from the Yak & Yeti quick service. Then another quick visit to Nomad Lounge before heading back to SSR.
We packed up to prepare for tomorrow's move then walked to Disney Springs. We hit Wine Bar George, Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar and finished the night at City Works. Sorry no photographic evidence of any of this.
 

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PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
1/31 MK and moving day.
Disney still makes it pretty easy to do a split stay. They will move everything except refrigerated groceries. Since we already knew that, we purposely didn't order any groceries that would require refrigeration and only put the amount of drinks in the fridge that we knew we would consume.
Bell services came to pick up our stuff and we headed down to the bus stop to catch a ride to MK.
With the crowds being what they were, we bit the bullet and purchased Genie + for today. I had secured a Tron boarding group and then booked our first LL for Jungle Cruise. I think it was for 11:00 and I felt like such a rookie. I tried "fiddle-faddling" as Molly from Mammoth Club calls it, but couldn't get an earlier time.
Since we are not Mine Train lovers, we rope dropped Peter Pan. We rode HM, &
PoTC without much wait and took a Magic Carpet ride before our LL for JC.
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Apparently I was not in a picture taking mood today and the only ones I got were from Jungle Cruise so please enjoy.
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We really should have scheduled this as a rest day. If I'm remembering accurately, the reason I wasn't feeling the pictures is because I was so tired! And I know better. Had the weather been warmer it would have been smart to spend today at SSR and enjoy one of the pools. At this point we were technically homeless and knew our BLT room would not be ready early.
I apologize for the text heaviness of this post. If I could go back and take more photos, I would.
I don't think I made good use of Genie + for today, but I think I made up for it on our next MK day. I have no recollection of our group number for Tron, but it was not super early. As such, we probably waited 45 minutes in the queue once our group was called. Super fun as usual.
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We left MK at around 4:00 to go to Tambu Lounge. I have to say that I'm not mad that you have to put your name on the walk up list. It's way better than hovering. We were seated at one end of one of the high top tables and enjoyed pot stickers and noodles for dinner. I got the room ready text whilst we were enjoying dinner, so we headed over to BLT right after.
I had put in a room request via chat through the DVC website. I requested an odd numbered room overlooking the DVC pool on as high a floor as possible. We were rewarded with this view!
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Although BLT desperately needs a refurb, I really love it there! I like the layout of the room with the separate kitchenette area that I use for getting ready. Our room was very clean and not worn out looking. IMO you can't beat it for the location and the amount of points.
 

rshell68

Well-Known Member
Thank you for listening to Tuvalu and sharing your trip with us!!

As a Bears fan I probably shouldn't speak this out loud, but we were really rooting for the Lions as well. They deserve a win!
Even though we really didn't expect them to make it to the Super Bowl, we were still disappointed. :cry:
LOL, this is the BEST!!
E had his senior photos taken in Galaxy's Edge.
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2/1 Epcot
E secured us group 16 for Cosmic Rewind!
We purchased Genie + for today mainly because we wanted to get a LL for Remy's. Our most recent trips have included a stay at Boardwalk, so rope dropping Remy's was easy. It had been quite awhile since we'd monorailed to Epcot. It's a lovely ride and a nice way to start the day.
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We got there pretty early and were at the front of the group of people who were rope dropping Soarin'. The CMs really did a great job of keeping everyone entertained as they were waiting for the rope drop. We were thrilled that it was still Soarin' over California.
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We were able to ride it twice before our boarding group was called. Once we got there, we were told the ride was temporarily down, but our boarding group would be honored later. We headed back to ride the Farm ride.
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Cosmic Rewind was still down, so we decided to head over to World Showcase via the Friendship Boat.
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We both had the ham and cheese at Les Halles before our LL for Remy. Again I was really bad about taking pictures and I'm not finding our Cosmic Rewind pic from this day.
I know we painted the mural, had margaritas from the stand and had the fried mozzarella from the Italy booth. There was a lot of back and forth on this day and we utilized the Friendship Boats as much as we could.
Once Cosmic Rewind was back up, we rode it with quite a long wait. We got I Ran...not my favorite. Still a very fun ride.
This gem of a PP photo was taken.
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We made LLs for Soarin' and Living with the Land just so we could say we used Genie + for more than just one ride.
Then we had to head back to World Showcase for our 4:30 ADR at Via Napoli which was delicious as always.
After dinner we started to make our way out. We watched a little bit of the projections on SSE and got our photo taken with Walt.
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I think it's pretty obvious from this picture that we were TIRED! So, it was off to dreamland pretty early for us. Tomorrow would take us back to MK after a delicious breakfast at Kona Cafe.
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2/2 MK
E was the winner for securing our Tron boarding group again and he scored Group 4! Genie + was also purchased for today. With the crowds that week, it would have been impossible to get a lot of rides in without it.
But first, the most amazing breakfast! We had a 7:40 ADR for Kona Cafe. We left our room around 7:15 and the monorails were already running. We're never sure because all the literature states that transportation starts an hour before park opening which was 8:30 this morning.
E & I always share the macadamia pancakes with an extra side of butter and pineapple sauce. This time they actually made us two separate plates with smaller pancakes. It was an extra special touch and our server received a cast compliment.
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The plan for this morning was to "arty pooh". IYKYK. I was wearing my Tigger shirt, so my number one priority was photos with Tigger.
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Pooh was down, so we decided to head into Tomorrowland since our Boarding Group would be called right away. We had just enough time to ride Buzz first.
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Okay, I'm going to state the obvious here. Having an early boarding group saves SO much time. It was a walk on.
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Pooh and Tigger were meeting at 10. As I had hoped, Tigger was very excited about my shirt.
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Our first LL for the day was HM.
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Nailed it?!
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
2/3 Epcot and Celebration at the Top
Today would be our last full day and we had really been looking forward to Celebration at the Top.
Since we had ridden Soarin' 3 times on our last Epcot day, we decided to rope drop Test Track. Again, the CMs who hold people off before rope drop did an amazing job keeping the crowd entertained.
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E had secured Group 4 for Cosmic Rewind, so it was very much a walk on. Our song was One Way Or Another.
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We were winding down today, so rides were not a priority. We rode Journey Into Imagination and then waited in a very short line to meet Figment.
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I somehow managed to forget the camera today, so I got a few photos with my phone. We meandered into World Showcase and of course there was a:
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At this point it was around 10:15, so we did what any queso loving couple would do and we rope dropped La Cava.
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Yikes! As you can see, I decided to forgo makeup this morning as I would be getting gussied up later. When the hostess showed up for work at around 10:30, she said "You know we don't open until 11, right?" Yes, we knew! 😆 We were entertained watching them load up trays of tequila shots for some tasting across the way. We had a nice relaxing snack of queso and salsa whilst we enjoyed our margaritas.
On our way out, we experienced Moana Journey of Water. It was cute. Not too many people were choosing to get wet since it wasn't very warm.
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Back at the room, E napped and I just relaxed before showering and getting ready. Our reservation was at 7:00 and it was so nice being at BLT and just wandering over. We were handed Bellinis upon arrival.
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In hindsight, the table we chose was not the best since the line for the bar went right by our table. I didn't photograph any of the food or our other drinks. This was our second time doing this event and we really enjoy it. It's worthwhile to us because we are alcohol drinkers. Being DVC members gets us a discount on the tickets. There is not a huge variety of food, but what they have is very good. If anyone want to know more about it, I can elaborate. I will leave you with a couple of photos of the view.
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UK Disney

Member
2/3 Epcot and Celebration at the Top
Today would be our last full day and we had really been looking forward to Celebration at the Top.
Since we had ridden Soarin' 3 times on our last Epcot day, we decided to rope drop Test Track. Again, the CMs who hold people off before rope drop did an amazing job keeping the crowd entertained.
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E had secured Group 4 for Cosmic Rewind, so it was very much a walk on. Our song was One Way Or Another.
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We were winding down today, so rides were not a priority. We rode Journey Into Imagination and then waited in a very short line to meet Figment.
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I somehow managed to forget the camera today, so I got a few photos with my phone. We meandered into World Showcase and of course there was a:
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At this point it was around 10:15, so we did what any queso loving couple would do and we rope dropped La Cava.
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Yikes! As you can see, I decided to forgo makeup this morning as I would be getting gussied up later. When the hostess showed up for work at around 10:30, she said "You know we don't open until 11, right?" Yes, we knew! 😆 We were entertained watching them load up trays of tequila shots for some tasting across the way. We had a nice relaxing snack of queso and salsa whilst we enjoyed our margaritas.
On our way out, we experienced Moana Journey of Water. It was cute. Not too many people were choosing to get wet since it wasn't very warm.
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Back at the room, E napped and I just relaxed before showering and getting ready. Our reservation was at 7:00 and it was so nice being at BLT and just wandering over. We were handed Bellinis upon arrival.
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In hindsight, the table we chose was not the best since the line for the bar went right by our table. I didn't photograph any of the food or our other drinks. This was our second time doing this event and we really enjoy it. It's worthwhile to us because we are alcohol drinkers. Being DVC members gets us a discount on the tickets. There is not a huge variety of food, but what they have is very good. If anyone want to know more about it, I can elaborate. I will leave you with a couple of photos of the view.
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Great review thanks. What's it like on the balcony at Sip & Savor, is there plenty of room to see the fireworks? Is there plenty of room along the railing or do you need to look over people?
 

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Let's wrap this up!
2/4 Departure day. The original plan for today was to go to MK again. However, we were tired and it was supposed to rain, so we decided to sleep in and rope drop the Steakhouse 71 lounge. Our bus was picking us up at 2:30, so we had a few hours to kill. We enjoyed some drinks and split the cheeseburger (minus the pork belly). It was amazing! We ended our trip with this little beauty. Any attempts made to finish it were futile. It's much easier to do with a third person.
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So here are my final thoughts for what they're worth, interspersed a couple of photos of things I forgot.
I chose this week because I really thought it would not be busy. As it happened, it was a school break in South America, Olympic Trials for marathon running, and the Pro-Bowl. Oh and there was Comicon as well. It was very busy, and as a result, we felt forced to purchase Genie + when I vowed never to do such a thing. I will say, it didn't feel as painful now that we are Annual Passholders again.
We still really like to do split stays. We both enjoyed Saratoga Springs more than we thought we would. This greeted us when we checked in.
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E thought it was a bird, but I saw Grogu. Who knows? Whatever it was, it was cute! SSR is a beautiful resort and so convenient to Disney Springs. However, transportation to the 2 parks we went to was time consuming. It would be the perfect resort for a no park stay. We didn't experience the pools because it was kind of chilly, but they looked nice.
The convenience of BLT is unmatched in my opinion. Though we didn't end up walking to MK this trip, the option to do so is very nice. Since we only visited MK and Epcot during the BLT portion of our trip, transportation was fantastic. The extra time to sleep was very much appreciated! Being on the monorail loop and hopping over to Poly for the Tambu lounge is one of our most favorite perks. We enjoyed Noodles and Dumplings for dinner twice this trip!
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We tried going to Enchanted Rose, but the line to get in was too long for our liking. The one thing we do not like is the way they are doing Top of the World Lounge now. If you don't make a reservation for the Wicked Wind Down, it's hard to get in. Well it was for us on the one evening we made the attempt. We put our name on the walk up list, but weren't called until after the fireworks so we didn't go in. We were still able to watch HEA from the balcony, but it was cold and we were drinkless!
During this trip, I had the most amazing idea (in my own mind)! Of course E, being the supportive husband he is, also thinks it's a brilliant idea, but we aren't quite sure if we have the funds to implement it. And here it is:
Four trips per year and each trip focuses on one park only. Where we stay would obviously be determined by which park we would be going to. This idea was brought on by my annoyance at the time consuming transportation issues and my exhaustion from going to a park everyday. So the idea would be travel day, park day 1, rest day (which could include DS), park day 2, rest day, travel day. I feel like this plan would allow more time to take everything in and slow down.
I guess that's it. Thank you to everyone who followed along! 🥰
Our next trip is scheduled for August and it will be a Poly only stay. We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary at the same resort where we Honeymooned!
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